The 2nd Day Of The Month Of December

Commemoration Of The Holy Prophet Habbakuk

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

The wondrous Habbakuk, receiving the effulgence of the Spirit, became wholly divine; and, seeing the dishonesty of the judges and their unjust judgment, he was displeased, showing forth the rightness of the justice of Christ the Master with divine love and fervent thought, and he burned as one justly angered.

Standing on divine watch, the honored Habbakuk heard the ineffable mystery of Thy coming unto us, O Christ, and he most manifestly prophesied the proclamation of Thee, foreseeing the all-wise apostles as steeds roiling the sea of the many nations of the gentiles.

Rejoicing in the Lord God thy Savior, O divinely eloquent and glorious one, and filled with gladness, receiving the effulgence of heavenly radiance, and noetically illumined with deifying light, by thy supplications deliver from perils and misfortunes those who with faith celebrate thy most festive memory.

But if Alleluia is to be chanted at matins instead of “God is the Lord…”, the following stichera of the Theotokos are chanted before the foregoing stichera of the prophet, in the same tone and melody—

With the showers of the Holy Spirit bedew thou my mind, O all-pure one, who hast given birth to Christ, the infinite Drop of rain Who by His compassions doth wash away the iniquities of mortals. Dry up the wellspring of my passions, and vouchsafe unto me a torrent of sweetness by thine ever-vital supplication.

I have been cast down beneath the ground, slain by my sins and my passions, spiritual and bodily; wherefore, I am covered by the darkness of despair. But raise me up now to life incorruptible, guiding me to the homeland on high, where the voice of those who keep festival is heard, and where the light of Thy countenance doth shine, O Christ.

O pure one, who held within thy womb the uncontainable God Who, in His love for mankind, became man and received from thee our nature, manifestly deifying it: *Disdain me not, who now am afflicted! But quickly take pity one me, and free me from all the malice and harm of the evil one.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone & melody—

Ten thousands of times, O all-pure one, have I promised to repent of mine offenses; yet mine unseemly and evil habits will not depart from me. Wherefore, I cry unto thee, and falling down, I pray: O Mistress, rescue me from such affliction, guiding me to higher things which are nigh unto salvation!

Stavrotheotokion, In the same melody:

When she beheld Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree, the ewe-lamb who gave Thee birth lamented and maternally exclaimed to Thee: “O my Son most desired! How is it, O Word, that thy hands and feet have been pierced with nails by the iniquitous? How is it that Thou hast shed Thy blood, O Master?”

Troparion, in Tone II—

Celebrating the memory of Thy Prophet Habbakuk, O Lord, through him we entreat Thee: Save Thou our souls!

At Matins

Both canons from the Octoechos, and one of the saint.

Canon of the prophet, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn thee, O blessed Prophet Habbakuk”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV—Ode I

Irmos: I shall sing to Thee, O Lord my God; for Thou didst lead Thy people forth from the bondage of Egypt, and didst overwhelm the chariots of Pharaoh and his might.

Make me wise, O Lord my God, that I may hymn Thy godly Prophet Habbakuk, and illumine my heart with Thy grace, O Good One.

“How long, O Lord, will I cry unto Thee, and Thou answerest not?” the prophet saith. “Wherefore hast Thou shown me the injustice of the judges?”

By thine entreaties, O prophet, deliver from misfortunes and cruel circumstances those who piously celebrate thine honored memory.

Theotokion: When the fullness of time drew nigh, our holy God appeared from thee, O Theotokos, becoming man, that He might save man.

Ode III

Irmos: The bow of the mighty is become weak, and the strengthless have girded themselves with power; wherefore, my heart is established in the Lord.

Elevated by lifting thy gaze unto God, and illumined by the effulgence which doth emanate from Him, thou didst foresee the form of things to come, O thou who art made manifest by God.

Thou didst have every virtue, and with thy mind didst hate all wickedness, O most blessed one; and thou didst justly revile the iniquitous.

As one pure, O right wondrous one, thou wast entrusted with speech by the Holy Spirit, most manifestly prophesying the fulfillment of things to come.

Theotokion: O most pure one, thou hast been revealed as the mountain overshadowed by the virtues, from whence the Master hath come forth as a servant, to free men from slavery.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up…”—

Thou didst stand on divine watch, O blessed and divinely inspired Habbakuk, and with the eyes of prophecy didst perceive the coming of God; wherefore, thou didst cry out with fear: O Lord, I have heard of Thy dread coming, and I hymn Thee, Who hast willed to bear the flesh of clay which Thou didst receive from the Virgin!

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

After God, it is to thy divine protection that I, the lowly, flee, O Theotokos, and falling down I pray: Have mercy, O all-pure one, for my sins have gone over my head, and I fear torment and tremble, O Mistress. O pure one, make supplication to thy Son, that He deliver me therefrom.

Stavrotheotokion—

She who in latter times gave birth in the flesh unto Thee Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, beholding Thee hanging upon the Cross, cried out: “Woe is me, O most beloved Jesus! How is it that Thou Who art glorified as God by the angels art now crucified by iniquitous men, O my Son? I hymn Thee, O Long-suffering One!”

Ode IV

Irmos: Proclaiming the coming of Thine appearance on earth, O Christ God, the prophet cried out with gladness: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Thou wast shown to be radiant in virtue, O divinely inspired one, and didst announce the never-waning Light. To Him do we now cry out with faith: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

The most radiant grace of the Spirit, dwelling abundantly within thee, O most wise one, made thee a prophet announcing the Savior unto all.

Instructed by hearing of the Almighty, O wondrous one, thou wast seized with reverent fear, and, understanding His words, thou wast filled with awe.

Theotokion: The Word Who is equally everlasting with the Father described thee, O Virgin, as the ark of witness, truly containing the Bread of life.

Ode V

Irmos: Glory to Thee! Glory to Thee, O Jesus, Son of God, Who hast shone forth the light, hast illumined the morning, and made manifest the day!

Now the honored Church seeth the Sun lifted up upon the Tree, as Thou didst foretell, O most sacred Habbakuk.

Giving wings to thy mind, thou didst stand watch, O thou who art most rich, and didst perceive the advent of the Lord.

“I rejoice aloud in God my Savior and am glad!” thou didst cry out, O wise and most blessed Habbakuk.

Theotokion: Weighed down by the fetters of my many transgressions, I flee to thee, O Mistress Theotokos. Save me, thou boast of the faithful!

Ode VI

Irmos: Prefiguring Thy three-day burial, the Prophet Jonah, praying within the sea monster, cried out: Deliver me from corruption, O Jesus, King of hosts!

God incarnate hath come from the south as thou foretold, O thrice blessed Habbakuk, and, radiantly enlightened by Him, thou hast illumined the world with light.

O God, by the supplications of the honored and divinely wise Habbakuk illumine the souls of those who hymn Thee, for by divine inspiration Thou didst enlighten his mind.

Thine announcement and the power of thy divine words passed over all the ends of the earth, O divinely eloquent one, prophesying to us the divine advent of the Word.

Theotokion: O Virgin, thou gavest birth to the Son, Who is consubstantial with the Father, is manifestly understood to be with Him Who timelessly begat Him, and Who in the latter times became flesh.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the chosen leader…”—

O divinely eloquent Habbakuk who announced to the world God’s coming forth from the south, from the Virgin, and who, standing on divine watch, didst receive a report from the radiant angel: thou hast proclaimed the resurrection of Christ to the world. Wherefore, in gladness we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O splendid adornment of the prophets!

Ode VII

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the children of Abraham trampled upon the flame of the furnace, crying aloud in hymns: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Taught understanding which transcendeth recounting, and prophesying a most radiant lamp, O blessed one, thou criest out now: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Christ, Whom thou didst glorify, hath given thee thrice-radiant effulgence and a share in never-waning glory, for thou didst cry out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: Among all generations thou hast been shown to be the blessed Virgin Mother who, in manner past understanding, gavest birth to the incarnate Word; wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one.

Ode VIII

Irmos: All ye works of God and all creation, bless the Lord! Ye venerable and lowly of heart, hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Illumined with the light of the threefold Sun, O most excellent one, thou wast vouchsafed divine and supernatural visions, crying: Exalt God supremely for all ages!

Drinking from the torrent of sweetness, full of immaterial vision, partaking of the glory and status of the prophets, thou hymnest God forever, rejoicing.

O the divine and honored beauty of the Prophet Habbakuk! For, joining chorus with the angelic hosts, he hymneth Christ forever, rejoicing.

Theotokion: Thou wast truly shown to be the Mother of Him Who shone forth from the Father before time began; for thou alone wast more holy than all others. Thee, the pure one, do we exalt supremely forever!

Ode IX

Irmos: Thy birthgiving was shown to be incorrupt: God came forth from thy womb, appeared on earth as a mortal, and dwelt with men. Wherefore, we all magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Thy memory shineth forth, O prophet, emitting the radiant effulgence of thy divine eloquence, thy mystic teachings and prophecies, for those who honor thee, O most blessed Habbakuk.

Having preached the Lord of glory and foretold His manifest advent from the holy Virgin, O divinely blessed Habbakuk, thou wast filled with gladness, seeing it come to pass.

All the prophets rejoice in gladness on this thy joyous day, O divinely wise one, sharing in thy joy and divine glory. And, praying with them, save those who hymn thee.

Theotokion: With the sprinkling of thy compassions, O pure maiden, wash away the defilement of my soul, and unceasingly cause torrents of tears to pour forth in me, stanching the torrents of my passions.